Pitkin County, Colorado
Unincorporated Pitkin County, CO vacation rental requirements
Outside Aspen and Snowmass Village, Pitkin County licenses short-term rentals, but new licenses are hard to get: current rules favor homes with rental history from 2017 to 2022, and most rural and remote areas are off limits. The county is studying a rewrite. Only about 73 rentals are licensed.
Checked against official sources November 8, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
The county code amendment we read sets a four-night minimum stay and a 120-night yearly cap, but we couldn’t confirm it has been adopted; an August 2026 report describes the current rules differently and says a rewrite, possibly with a lottery, is being studied. Confirm the current rules with the county before you apply.
Fines run up to $1,000 per occurrence.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of Colorado
Get a state sales tax license
If you rent rooms or a home for stays under 30 days, Colorado requires a sales tax license from the Department of Revenue. Platforms like Airbnb collect the state and state-administered taxes on their bookings; you file for anything booked directly.Source
Check for home-rule city taxes
Many cities and mountain towns collect their own sales and lodging taxes. Platforms aren’t required by the state to collect these, so you may need a separate city tax license and returns.Source
Get your county or city rental license
Most Colorado mountain counties and towns, and Denver, require a short-term rental license or permit, often with an inspection, an occupancy limit, posted information, and a local responder. Pick your area for the rules.
Pitkin County, Colorado
Get a state sales tax license
Every rental owner needs one unless a platform covers all your taxes. In Aspen and Snowmass Village, platforms don’t collect the town taxes, so you’ll file with the town too.Source
Then your town or area
Towns set their own rental licenses and collect their own taxes, and the county’s rules cover only areas outside town limits. Pick your area.
Unincorporated Pitkin County
Check whether you can get a license
Ask the county licensing office whether your property qualifies. Current standards look for rental history from 2017 to 2022, most rural and remote properties can’t be licensed, and deed-restricted or employee housing never qualifies.Source
Apply with a parking plan
The application asks for the home’s size, bedrooms and bathrooms, lot size, zoning, and a parking plan. Guests can’t park on county roads or block access easements.Source
Set up safety and posted notices
Keep working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers, clean fireplaces and wood stoves, and tell guests about fire bans. Post the license and a renter notice (noise, trash, parking, animals, Pitkin Alert sign-up) inside the front door, and put the license number in every ad.Source
Taxes on each stay
Stays under 30 days owe 2.9% state sales tax plus 3.6% Pitkin County sales tax and any special-district taxes. Airbnb and other platforms collect the state and state-administered taxes on their bookings; for direct bookings, file with the Colorado Department of Revenue. Pitkin County has no county lodging tax.Source
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from Unincorporated Pitkin County’s published checklist.
House rules for guests
Sources
- Sales & Use Tax Topics: Rooms & Accommodations · Colorado Department of Revenue
- Sales Tax Guide and Colorado Sales/Use Tax Rates (DR 1002) · Colorado Department of Revenue
- Pitkin County’s short-term rentals lag behind neighbors. Is that a problem? (August 19, 2026) · Aspen Public Radio
- Pitkin County Code Section 6.50, Short Term Rentals (code amendment text) · Pitkin County
A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.